Strong Enforcement Of Voter Protections Needed In Pennsylvania To Stop “Bullies At The Ballot Box”

As the elections approach, strong enforcement of voter protections is needed to prevent attempts to block Pennsylvania voters from casting their ballot, according to a report released today by voting rights groups Demos and Common Cause. The study, “Bullies at the Ballot Box: Protecting the Freedom to Vote from Wrongful Challenges and Intimidation” focuses on voter protection laws in Pennsylvania and nine other states where elections are expected to be close, or where large challenger operations are expected or have taken place during recent elections.

The study concludes that Pennsylvania generally has unsatisfactory laws on the books, and that there is plenty of work yet to be done to protect voters from voter intimidation and attempts to kick registered voters off the rolls.

True the Vote and other Tea Party-affiliated groups are reportedly recruiting 1 million volunteers to object to the qualifications of voters in targeted communities on and before Election Day, according to the study. These volunteers are being rallied to block, in their own words, the “illegal alien vote” and “the food stamp army.” Their stated goal is to make the experience of voting “like driving and seeing the police behind you.”

“We call on elections officials and law enforcement at the state and federal level to stand ready to enforce the law and aggressively protect every eligible American’s right to vote this November,” said Liz Kennedy, report co-author and Counsel at Demos. “Wrongful challenges and intimidating tactics should never stand between Americans and their right to have their voices heard on the issues that affect their lives. There should be zero tolerance for bullying at the ballot box.”

“Voting must be free, fair and accessible to all, and voters should know their rights,” said Common Cause President Bob Edgar. “It is important to maintain the integrity of our election system, but candidates, parties and political activists should be focused on persuading and turning out voters, not bullying them or trying to manipulate the law to freeze them out of our democracy.”

Pennsylvania offers unsatisfactory protections for voters from wrongful challenges to their right to vote before and on Election Day, and for protecting voters from intimidation by partisan poll watchers on Election Day inside and outside the polls. Pennsylvania therefore should be a target of monitoring by the U.S. Department of Justice and pro-voter organizations to ensure that federal protections against voter intimidation are enforced:

Pennsylvania needs to strengthen its protections for voters from wrongful challenges before Election Day. It is unacceptable for a voter’s registration to be automatically cancelled unless that voter appears at a hearing or provides extra documentary evidence without the challenger also being required to provide evidence.

Pennsylvania should require challenges on Election Day to be in writing and under oath, and should make frivolously challenging a voter’s eligibility a misdemeanor.

Pennsylvania should improve its rules for poll watchers. Pennsylvania does prohibit any intimidation or coercion to compel a voter to refrain from voting, and this prohibition needs robust enforcement.

The ten states reviewed in “Bullies at the Ballot Box” are Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. In addition to assessing the current state laws, the report provides recommendations to protect citizens from these large-scale, well-organized efforts to intimidate or block them from voting.

“It is important that all participants understand the rules and respect the right of all eligible Americans to vote free of intimidation or obstruction. We want to minimize the risk of positive civic engagement moving into disrupting the orderly conduct of elections,” said Liz Kennedy. “Unwarranted challenges to voters’ eligibility can lead to problems at the polls for everyone seeking to cast a ballot by depleting resources, distracting officials, and leading to longer lines. They threaten the fair administration of elections and the fundamental freedom to vote.”

“Voting is one of our most fundamental rights,” said Common Cause President Bob Edgar. “No eligible voter should be blocked from casting a ballot, and the entire voting rights community is mobilized to protect voters’ rights.” Coalition partners “are prepared to empower voters at the polls and to ensure all Americans have an equal chance to have their voices heard,” Edgar said.